3 Studs, 1 dud from Rockets' clutch win vs Clippers

Whenever the Houston Rockets face James Harden, it's an event.

The situation was crazy. It couldn't be fixed. Wrong. The Rockets fixed their situation - it just took a few years.

On Wednesday, the team showed Harden exactly how fixed their situation was. They managed a 111-103 win over his Clippers to improve to 8-4 on the season.

Here are three studs and one dud from this contest.

Stud: Alperen Sengun

Sengun's basic stat line could have been more impressive. He had 13 points on 6/14 shooting, although he did chip in 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks.

One of those blocks stood out. Down the stretch, with the game on the line, Sengun threw down a thunderous dunk, got back on defense and made a critical block. It was the type of clutch play that befits a superstar.

Sengun has made a general defensive leap in 2024-25. There was ample concern about that aspect of his game, and he's answered questions resoundingly. Last night, he sealed this one for Houston on both ends of the floor.

Stud: Amen Thompson

At one point, the Rockets were down 11 before the half. The Clippers were outclassing them.

Enter the Terror Twins.

Thompson and Tari Eason (spoiler alert: there's more to come on him) scratched and clawed the Rockets back into this one. Their frenetic defensive energy and ball pressure was too much for the Clippers. This is becoming a familiar story.

As for Thompson specifically, he was consistent in this contest. Thompson finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Thompson was 6/9 from the field, and most impressively, 2/2 from deep.

Should Thompson's 100% three-point shooting give Rockets fans hope? Let's pump the breaks. He remains a deeply flawed shooter with a form that would make Shawn Marion blush.

Still, if he can hit open threes, that's good enough. Thompson will never be a high-volume three-point shooter, but given everything else that he provides, the Rockets should be satisfied if he can connect on a reasonable percentage of his wide-open corner threes.

Even if it's not 100% of them.

Stud: Tari Eason

What more can be said about Tari Eason?

He plays like his pants are on fire. Eason is going to outwork everyone - it's guaranteed. Last night was no exception.

Eason finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in just 26 minutes. There are questions about whether he can maintain his energy for a starter's share of minutes. It seems clear that he could have managed four more minutes of action last night.

Eason will be Eason in any role. His insertion into the starting lineup feels like a fait accompli, but for now, he's one of the best players on this team no matter where he stands in the rotation.

Last night was the rule - not an exception.

Dud: Jabari Smith Jr.

Something is troubling going on with Smith Jr.

It could be a confidence issue. Whatever it is, his place in this team's hierarchy is under siege. Smith Jr. isn't impacting the game on either end of the floor.

Last night, he had 5 points on 1/6 shooting. Down the stretch, Ime Udoka opted for Eason and Thompson in his place, and rightfully so.

Smith Jr. is still in the starting lineup. His draft position makes moving him to the bench a politically difficult decision to make. It also feels inevitable.

It doesn't feel good to pick on him. Smith Jr. is a human being who is clearly insecure about his performance. Unfortunately, it's impossible to write about the Rockets without mentioning his play.

In 2024-25, he's been a dud.